Yesterday, we covered some major ground in pulling off a spontaneous Independence Day party this weekend! Yikes- now you've got to get your house in shape- FAST! Even if you're planning to have the entire party outdoors, Mother Nature might have a different idea about the ideal weather for a cookout, and, at some point, your guests WILL be in the house. OK- grab the entire family in for this (they're planning to enjoy the party, too, right? Right!)- it cleaning bootcamp-style, with some expert, and oh, so wonderful time-saving help from TheDinnerPartyPlanningSite.com! Go!
House cleaning tip # 1
Schedule
the cleanup session the day or evening before your dinner party, or at
the latest, the morning of the party. Don’t leave it any later, because
you should have lots of energy to enjoy your guest, and your party! (No one wants to see their host yawning over their dinner plate!) Remember, you want time to do the last minute cooking, and you want time to take a quick break just before the guests arrive.
What
you don’t want is a never-ending series of tasks that last right up until
the first car pulls up. So get that cleaning out of the way well beforehand.
House cleaning tip #2
Think about just what spaces your company might go into. Here’s a likely list, if applicable to your home.
- The foyer, or areas around the main door guests might use
- The living room and dining room areas (in case the weather moves you all indoors!)
- The kitchen
- The bathroom
- The hallways connecting any of these places
Decide now that the places you just listed are the places that will get your cleaning, tidying and de-cluttering attention and energy. That's it. This isn't time for a whole house cleaning mindset. Besides, you're much more likely to have better moods from the help...that would be your family...if the job of pre-party housecleaning doesn't sound overwhelming to them.
House keeping tip #3
This
is all about speed cleaning in the most efficient way. Here’s a
housecleaning checklist to help you speed clean your way around the
places your guests may go into:
- Carry your supplies with you in a container
- Bring a clutter box into each space.
- Unless you can store the clutter right in that same space, right now, put the clutter in this box as you go. Remember, this is not about organizing your closet, or your kitchen or any other room. This is cleaning bootcamp!
- If you don’t have time to deal with the box, leave it until after the dinner party. Then it can become a separate organizing project.
- Clean from top to bottom
- Pay special attention to around light switches and door handles where you are likely to find fingerprints
- Work your way around the room rather than darting from corner to corner.
- Dust first, then vacuum
House cleaning tip # 4
Pay
special attention to the bathroom. Let's be honest. You don't want a nagging feeling of dread about the state of a toilet! Do a quick cleanup,
but take some extra care with these essentials:
- Make sure the toilet is perfectly clean. (Pour your toilet bowl cleaner in; tackle the other areas, like the sink and counter, then go back to finish the bowl. A little baking soda on the toilet brush helps.)
- Put out extra toilet paper where your guests can see it easily.
- Put out fresh hand towels.
- Wipe any spots off the mirror.
House cleaning tip # 5
Pay
special attention to the kitchen too. It’s the workspace for your July 4th bash! Do a quick cleanup including washing the floor if
necessary. You might be eating outside, but you also might have the kitchen serve as a main food station. Here are the basics:
- Clear off the counters. Remove everything you can if you don’t need it for the cookout
- Wipe off the stove top
- Get the dishwasher ready for action - even though you'll most likely use paper products and plastic utensils, you'll still wind down the party with at least a few serving dishes and utensils- it'll make clean up that much easier if the dishwasher's ready to go
- Put out clean dish towels and dish cloths
- Make the sink sparkle.
Last tip, # 6, for the outside
Just like a whole house cleaning venture, this isn't the time to completely re-think your outside landscaping (where you're hoping to host most, if not all, of your party.) Your guests don’t expect you to work a miracle. But attention to some of the visually most obvious details will put everyone in a party frame of mind:
- Mow the lawn
- Remove clutter or extra stuff, like toys, trash bins, or gardening hoses and tools, to make space for chairs, tables, and your guests.
Enjoy yourself and your guests will enjoy your 4th of July party. This is Summer; it's the celebration of our nation's birth, and you deserve to feel great about your party!
John
Email John: johnsblog@teshmedia.com
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